Prompt: Capability
by Ngoc Chau
Summary: More so, she grew giddy with the idea that a part of Mayuri would be inside her, carried with her own blood. She promised to herself that she would love it unconditionally, even if its father did not much care for it. Mayuri x Nemu, part 2/5 of Skin


**Ngoc Chau does not own Bleach**

**OMG! I do not know why but I always get so pissed off reading fanfics where Mayuri is paired up with the fourth division! Unohana I can sort of understand, but Isane? Where did that even come from! My goal is to come up with at least 55 prompts for this pairing! **

**Just reading the list of Bleach fanfics and how much of it shows Mayuri or Nemu paired with all sort of different people just pisses the hell out of me! Well, enjoy this prompt. It's a continuation from Skin and rather like a filler to give you some background. The next three prompts that follow this one will be way way way better. **

**Please read and review. **

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><p><strong>Prompt: Capability<strong>

The thought of babies and children clouded Nemu's mind again once more.

Just recently, the Shinigami Women's Association had thrown a party for one of the lower-ranking shanghais who had found herself in an interesting condition. Needless to say, Nemu found herself envying the woman for her state. At the party, all of them had swarm the swollen belly and taken their turns on rubbing the surface. Nemu had never though of babies in a way that was not scientific and meant for the advancement of tests or experiments. But to have touched it, felt the very form of the baby within the skin… Something bloomed inside of her that made her long for that one day she could cradle a new life within herself.

Everything these days appeared to have Nemu think of children and motherhood: how lover-like Mayuri was capable of being sometimes, the acute notice that more and more women in the Seireitei and Rukongai were having off-spring, her new duties that had her interact more often than not with child-like souls what with the materialization of Ashisoji Jizo and Yachiru's frequently growing visits to the SDRI…  
>More so, she grew giddy with the idea that a part of Mayuri would be inside her, carried with her own blood and genes as well. If she ever had a babe, she promised to herself that she would love it unconditionally, even if its father did not care so for it.<p>

What better dream was it for a creation to have than to someday be a creator in its own right?

Nemu responded immediately to the sudden mention of her name. "Yes, Ise-fukutaicho."

"Is something the matter?" Nanao asked worriedly.

Nemu responded that nothing was the matter, though Nanao was not so quick to drop the subject.

"Are you sure? Ever since we got back from Kaguraizo-san's new house, you've been awfully quiet - more than usual."

Nemu gave a breathy little sigh and questioned Nanao if she herself ever considered having a child of her own someday.

At this inquisition, the eighth division lieutenant blushed profusely and this action attracted the attentions of the other ladies of the Shinigami Women's Association. Nanao stuttered in her explanation, "No! I'm too busy for that sort of stuff. There would be too much to give up if I ever became a mother. I would have to take a maternity leave and find someone to fill in for me. And I wouldn't even be able to know where to start to find someone who's efficient in their work and keeping others in line. No one would want my job so it would be really inconvenient for me to just become pregnant and leave my work to all of the division. Plus, I don't have the time to go look for a man! A baby is hard work, and I already have too much on my plate right now. The way that Kyoraku-taicho keeps pushing his paperwork onto me, I'll never have a chance to go out on dates or socialize. I swear, the man is turning me bitter before my time!"

Rangiku threw in her own thoughts, "Why don't you just ask Shunsui to knock you up?"

Through the laughter shared by the other women in the Association, Nanao roared that she would never. "Are you kidding me? Why would I go to that pervert and ask him to… to… do _that_ with me!"

Rangiku took a swig and shrugged her shoulders, gleefully pointing out, "Look! You're a lieutenant and he's a captain. Both of you could make a strong kid. Plus, you said it yourself: you don't have the time to look for other men and he's right there in front of yo. Anyway, he likes you a lot; everyone in the Seireitei and even Rukongai knows about his little crush on you. Don't you ever notice by the way he flirts with you?"

Nemu noticed with interest at how much redder Nanao's face could be.

"He flirts that way with every woman!" she complained.

"But he's still so much more familiar with you!" one of the other members pointed out.

Flustered, Nanao claimed out loud, "He sleeps and drinks all the time! Who knows if he can even rise for the occasion, let alone help me take care of it when I have it!"

"So _you've_ actually given it _some_ thought?"

There was no mistaking the voice of who had asked the question. All women directed their gaze to the man who stood so stoically behind their bi-spectacled vice-president.  
>Kyoraku Shunsui had his arms cross across his chest, the hands tucked away into his sleeves. Though his eyes were wide with what could easily be described as surprised, a dopey smile was resting lazing on his face. "Has my Nanao-chan actually been thinking this through?" he asked with a such a carefree expression that the women were finding themselves agreeing with Nanao that this man was hardly serious about children as Zaraki Kenpachi was serious about apologizing to Kurotsuchi Mayuri about the egging of his house the other day.<p>

Nanao jumped from her chair. "Taicho! What are you doing here? You should be working now!" she accused with a pointed finger in his direction.

He scratched at his forehead, carefully adjusting his hand as he answered oh so nonchalantly. "Well, I was working for a while until I looked at the clock and realized that you were running a little bit late so I decided to go and look for you, in case something might've happened to you. Thankfully, I can see that you are safe and with all of your friends having tea, but better it was that I ventured out of my office to hear your confession of love for me."

"What CONFESSION?" she screamed at him as she hit him across the head with her fan.

He remained standing on his two feet, politely informing her that if she had wanted a baby all she had to do was tell him so and that she shouldn't be so dubious at his capability at being a parent.

At this, Nanao flew into a rage, recounting the numerous reasons why she would never procreate with him, though Nemu could easily see through it as well as everybody.

He chuckled as he deftly deflected her next attacks, and again told her that if she would like to see if he was capable of _rising to the occasion_, he would be more than happy to give her a demonstration when she returned to their offices.

The outing was quickly cut short and all returned to their homes. Though the thoughts of babies and her captain seemed a little more hopeful to her than it did before.

Reader, it should be believable that there were some times that Mayuri felt that it would be better to remove himself from his work for but a few minutes or moments, rather than continuously go on in a strain. And so it was in these little given breaks that he would finally leave his chair to have a drink of tea(coffee if he especially needed to stay awake) or possibly take a walk around the grounds of where the twelfth division's barracks and buildings stood. Of course, always by his side was his lieutenant and daughter.

They strolled together outside, but Nemu knew that this walk was less than leisurely.

Mayuri walked a few paces ahead of her, she remained a mere two steps behind him to follow. Their grounds were often more quiet than the other divisions; it should be for if the captain ever caught any shinigami lazing off, said shinigami could find himself being made into a research subject or living bomb.

She called out his name, "Mayuri-sama."

He did not look back at her, but answered by acknowledging her with her name as a response, "Nemu."

She sped up a little bit faster to him, yet still stayed behind, not daring to walk side by side with him. "You have taken very good care of me these past decades." she began, complimenting him. "I can think of nothing luckier for me than to have been your daughter."  
>She had had a little speech prepared, to lead up to what she wanted to ask him. Yet as she began to speak again, he cut her off.<p>

"Nemu. Cut straight to the point. I'm in no mood for idle chatter." he warned her.

She nodded and jumped straight to the chase. She inquired what she had been thinking about the past few days. Would it be possible to hope for children? He did not halt his walking, but she felt him take on something new akin to shock and surprise. Speeding up ever so slightly yet still maintaining a few steps behind him, she continued speaking of children that she herself would bear for him, from him. So, might she be able to hold onto the hope of birthing children one day?

He, on the other hand, remained silent.

Nemu suddenly felt a sort of outrage rise from him. And she immediately grew nervous though her expression was not fazed in the least. She mentally prepared herself for the blow that should surely be coming but it did not. She paid closer attention to his face and regarded that it was going through a multitude of emotions as though he was not exactly sure what he should be feeling right then and there.

He finally stopped in his steps and turned around to look at her. She came closer to him and bowed her head down in submission, keeping her teeth tight in case he might change his mind and strike her after all.  
>Mayuri's voice was gruff and it was not kind at all. In fact, it sounded like a tone of condescension. "What sort of questions is that? 'Can you bear children?' What a dullard you are! Of course you can't! What child could ever survive within that body of yours, filled to the brim with all its poisons?"<p>

Still in the midst of processing what she had been told, she nodded her head obediently.

He turned back around and continued on his walk.

Behind him, Nemu felt that he may as well have slapped her clean across the cheeks.

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><p><strong>Those who are observant will notice that this probably sounds familiar. It should because it's a drabble from Kurotsuchi Mayuri that has been stretched out. <strong>

**Anything to ask or say or comment?**


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